Founder Alok Bhardwaj at TEDx on why Freedom is Impossible without Privacy

The Epic Privacy Browser founder Alok Bhardwaj gave a talk at a recent TEDx conference, “Nothing to Hide”, on why mass surveillance is incompatible with freedom.

In response to the revelations of mass surveillance by the government and the private sector, most people have repeated the shibboleth, I have nothing to hide, I’m not worried. When given the response, Okay, then give me your Facebook password, most people change their mind quickly and recognise that there are things that are private. Privacy is not having something to hide, it’s the enabler of freedom. Without privacy, a space in which to think or dream anything no matter how insane or subversive. So without privacy, freedom is impossible.

When you’re under general surveillance, you would at first consciously self-censor yourself, okay someone’s watching me I better not write this or read that or talk to that person. But that second-guessing and self-censorship would soon become internalized into a kind of prison in our mind. As the philosopher Michel Foucault argued, the effect of a system of surveillance is to have those under surveillance internalise the thoughts and ideas of those in power.

The internet is the most free media in the world where we can search for any information, share knowledge and associate with anyone regardless of religion or nationality — mass surveillance threatens this freedom. Listen to the talk & tell us what you think!!

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Posted replies are checked by the Admins to prevent Spam. You know, that other other form of Advertising you and I both hate?

Privacy is all of these things that were said and much more. Privacy is the freedom to grow according to ones own will and self determination in a manner that they feel suits them the best. When Privacy is eliminated, that growth is no longer possible. The only growth that occurs is the growth of the pocketbooks of those who have access to all that data. They decide who and what you will become.

Privacy is also at the very heart of preventing conflict. If you cant say something nice, dont say anything at all. Humans are defined by their opinions. Opinions that, when sometimes expressed, lead to conflict. It has nothing to do with “Nothing to Hide”. It has EVERYTHING to do with a Difference of Opinion being the source of so many conflicts that could very easily be prevented when the Privacy of others is respected.

Thanks for your insight into the value of privacy and its process. I strongly support your view of privacy. I have found myself self-censoring in response to mass surveillance online in exactly the way you described in your TED talk.

Years before the Internet, I used to give a similar public talk about the problem of thinking “I have nothing to hide, so I don’t mind consenting to a search” (traffic police stops and other non-criminal situations). My point was that if only people who had “something to hide” exercised their rights then it won’t be long before many people question whether these ‘rights’ are worth having, since they appear to mainly protect criminals (at least in most ‘Western’ countries). I recommended everyone not waive their rights on request (i.e. politely not consent to a search) and fully cooperate with the police but request they simply follow the well-defined procedures for a lawful search. Of course, it takes a brave person to say “no” when a policeman asks if he can search you. You can bet that if you say “no, sir” however politely, you will arouse great suspicion, not to mention comments on the consequences of not waiving your right to due process.

You well explained why we all need our right to privacy, bravo!

Btw, I have been using your Epic browser for about a year. thanks for that tool!